In what's likely to be a contentious matchup, U.S. EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy this week will face congressional critics over her agency's use of science.

The hearing Wednesday in the House Science, Space and Technology Committee could cover a broad range of topics, as GOP critics on the committee have expressed concerns about the scientific underpinning of a number of agency rules.

"The purpose of this hearing is to examine the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) recent regulatory agenda, the scientific and technical justification for these regulations, and these regulations' impacts on the American people," a Science Committee spokesperson said Friday.